On May 7, Director General Nancy J. Powell announced that a Department of State employee had been named as a finalist to receive the 2010 Service to America Medal, a national awards program to honor the achievements of federal employees. Deputy Legal Adviser Robert K. Harris is one of the five national finalists for the National Security and International Affairs Medal. Mr. Harris has led negotiations for dozens of international agreements on critical issues, including extradition, counterterrorism and the environment, and is influencing human rights policies to protect civil and political rights of individuals worldwide.

The Partnership for Public Service will name the eight recipients of 2010 Service to America Medals, including the Federal Employee of the Year, at a Washington, D.C. gala on September 15th. Visit www.ourpublicservice.org for more information.

The Service to America Medal award was created in 2002 by the Partnership for Public Service, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization committed to recruiting and retaining excellence in the federal civil service.